• low albumin levels
Nurses at Cone Health in Greensboro, N.C., apply a soft silicone
foam dressing to the sacrum of patients that fall in the high-risk cate-
gory for developing pressure injuries. Their skin assessment also pro-
vides a baseline for post-op comparison to monitor for any changes in
skin condition.
Nurses involved in each perioperative stage at the Robert Wood
Johnson Memorial Hospital in Somerset, N.J., developed a "periopera-
tive pressure ulcer protocol" that includes guidelines on how to
assess patients' skin at every phase of surgery. After its implementa-
tion, there have been no identifiable pressure ulcers from the OR.
2. Deploy positioning devices
Using proper position-
ing devices like gel
pads and thermo-
active foam pads
reduces pressure
injuries, but you
should avoid rolled-up
blankets and IV bags.
Straighten wrinkles or
bunching in linens to
avoid unwanted pres-
sure. AORN recom-
mends using prophy-
lactic dressings over
bony areas such as
the sacrum. But don't
stack them on top of
8 0 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • M A Y 2 0 1 8
